Poll: 3.4% of US Adults Are Gay, Bisexual, Transgender

A new survey has found that 3.4% of US adults identify themselves as gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender. The Gallup poll, believed to be the largest ever aimed at calculating the LGBT population, interviewed more than 121,000 people. The findings upend some stereotypes about the community. "If you spend a lot of time watching network television, you would think most LGBT people are rich white men who live in big cities," the poll report's lead author tells USA Today. "These data suggest the LGBT community reflects more of the diversity in the US." In fact, LGBT identification is highest among younger, non-white, less educated people.

Percentages of those considering themselves LGBT range from 3.2% of whites to 4.6% of African-Americans. Slightly more women (3.6%) than men (3.3%) generally identified themselves as LGBT. The range was far wider among people ages 18 to 29, with 8.3% of women and 4.6% of men considering themselves LGBT. The ultra-conservative American Research Council squawked that while the LGBT population may be 3.4% of America, they "seem to enjoy 100% accommodation." (More LGBT stories.)